Five Bulawayo Councillors Suspended as Damning Report on Corruption in Bulawayo Released

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Saviour Kasukuwere earlier today suspended five councillors in Bulawayo for corruption. Minister Kasukuwere announced the suspension of Deputy Mayor Gift Banda (ward 5), and Councillors James Sithole (ward 7), Charles Moyo (ward 9), Reuben Matengu (ward 21) and Mzamo Dube (ward 25) as he released a damning report on the investigation into corruption in Bulawayo that was conducted by the Ministry of Local Government in May this year. The suspended councillors are set to appear before an independent tribunal.

Speaking at a special meeting at Bulawayo Council chambers, Minister Kasukuwere, said the investigation had confirmed that councillors were abusing their positions to corruptly accumulate wealth. Minister Kasukuwere also revealed that five councillors, Mayor Martin Moyo (ward 3), Lot Siziba (ward 13), Cecilia Mlalazi (ward 18), Ephraim Ncube (ward 17) and Monica Lubimbi (ward 29) were not implicated in the corruption while the other 19 councillors had explaining to do. Damningly, Kasukuwere revealed that not only had councillors accessed stands, but they had not bothered to pay for the stands and owed the Bulawayo City Council over half a million dollars. The report also revealed gross irregularities in tender processes which have prejudiced the City of Bulawayo of huge amounts of money.

The Ministry of Local Government deployed a team to investigate allegations of irregularities in allocation of tenders and stands in Bulawayo after the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) raised concerns in April 2016. BPRA had written to the Ministry of Local Government, Parliament and the Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister after unearthing information that two councillors had acquired tracts of land worth $300 000. Further investigations by BPRA had shown that numerous councillors had taken possession of various properties ranging from domestic stands to car parks, commercial stands, crèches, social clubs, public toilets and others. A team from BPRA submitted its concerns to the investigating team on 6 May 2016.